Metro Washington Council afl-cio

Calling President Trump's decision to deport nearly one million Dreamers “a disgusting act of cowardice and cruelty,” Jaime Contreras, an immigrant and Vice President at 32BJ SEIU, said Tuesday that “Repealing DACA is a low in a Presidency marked by discrimination and the removal of rights for people of color. Deporting nearly one million young people will not create a single job or make America better for anyone. It will harm our economy and further erode the values holding our nation together. It will compound the problems of an already broken immigration system and will needlessly put at risk of deportation people who love this country and are committed to its future.” Hundreds demonstrated outside the White House Tuesday morning as Contreras also demanded that Congress pass “a permanent and clean legislative fix that isn't used as bait to win anti-immigrant measures. We will also continue to call on our elected officials at all levels of government to build sanctuary spaces and deportation defense networks to keep millions out of Trump's deportation machine.” Demonstrators shut down 16th Street in front of the White House Tuesday afternoon; click here for photos on Facebook.